The Christmas Wish
by Millenium Tenshi
Summary: (Yaoi,Angst,Rape) Ryou makes a wish before he dies. Will it come true in time? Complete [Major plot jumping because I had to write it in 4 days](BakuraXRyou, KaibaXJou)
1. Pain

Hello! This is my first Yu Gi Oh fanfic ever. I do hope that you can read and review it! ^__^ I am really sorry if this fanfic has ideas similar to any previous fanfic. I haven't read that many fanfics yet and if its kind of repeated, I'm sorry, it wasn't intentional.   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh. If I did, it would be a yaoi anime. O_o  
  
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Bakura's POV  
  
"I made breakfast for you!" I watch as Ryou, no, my slave, pops his head (no, not that head, as much as it would be interesting) through the door, smiling like the idiot he is.   
  
Why the hell is that brat screaming so damn early in the morning? Its only 11am. Who cares about the dumb things he cooks. I roll around in bed so that I'm not facing the door. That way, even if he comes in, I won't see him. Him and his irritating likeness to me. We're so damn different that his mere existence is an insult to me. Just look at him ignoring what happened three nights ago. Hah, I'm surprised he can still walk. Damnit I should have done more. Oh well, there's always next time, eh?  
  
As I drift off to sleep once more, I plot my revenge as I always do. It never fails to bring a content smirk to my face... Ah, the beauty of ultimately impaling the Pharaoh on my trusty dagger...   
  
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Ryou's POV  
  
As I shut the door behind me, I lean on the wall beside it and heave a sigh of relief. At least he didn't throw any sharp object in my direction, something he did quite often whenever he felt I was invading his privacy. Of course, I could have used our Mind Link, but I just had the need to check and see if he was ok.   
  
Tristan and Joey say that I care for him too much. They think I'm showering unnecessary attention on the yami who hates me to the core. The truth is, I know how much my yami hates me, but I still love him nonetheless. He means alot to me, even if it is one of his personal fantasies to one day torture me till I die.   
  
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Normal POV  
  
Silently, Ryou made his way downstairs. As he went down the stairs, he suddenly gripped the banister, his face turning pale and scrunching in pain. Steadying himself, he slowly made his way down and then went to the bathroom. Switching the lights on, Ryou pulled his shirt up and looked at the wounds his yami had inflicted on him the three nights before. Deep gashes could be seen on many areas together with numerous bite marks. His back hurt greatly as well. He winced as the memory he had been denying the past few mornings flashed back to him...  
  
~Flashback~  
  
Ryou stepped into the room of his other self after he had been called. He looked around nervously for his yami as he had never been called to him like this before. Before he could find his other, a sharp dagger embedded itself in the wall just beside his face with a loud thump.   
  
The dark haired boy jumped back in fright as he caught sight of the person who had thrown the weapon. Even in the darkness, Ryou could make out his yami's form chuckling evilly. Fear struck his heart as he inched his way backward, finally finding himself against the wall with the dagger.   
  
"Come." He heard his yami say. He couldn't move. Ryou couldn't turn, couldn't run. He couldn't do anything.   
  
"COME!!" Bakura shouted this time, anger dripping off his voice. Ryou shut his eyes and grimaced. He knew what was in store for him, but he could never really get away from it. He loved his yami greatly but never could understand why he did what he did. He had tried getting his yami to talk to him, but even he knew that it was like trying to get to Mars.   
  
Reluctantly, he moved forward. 'Its only for a while,' he thought about how long it would take the wounds he received to heal. But deep in his heart, he knew it would take forever for the pain of what Bakura did to go away. In some weird way, it comforted him to know that even if it was for a while, Bakura would be free of the stress and anger he continuously built up due to the Pharaoh. In that sense, Ryou didn't mind that Bakura took an insane pleasure out of hurting him. Ryou stopped a few steps away from the bed where Bakura was sitting.   
  
  
  
"Closer." Ryou took one small step forward.   
  
"CLOSER!!" Ryou turned away from the menacing grin as he finally stood right infront of his yami.   
  
"Heh." Ryou didn't even have time to think about what that meant as his yami pulled him downwards and crushed his mouth in a painful kiss. He didn't want to open his mouth to him but Bakura bit his lip and drew blood, forcing entrance while Ryou recovered from the shock of what the tomb robber had done.   
  
After a while, Bakura released Ryou as he came up for air. He looked at the tearing boy infront of him and licked his lips menacingly of Ryou's blood. His hikari had been reduced to a trembling mass and it sickened him more than anything. His mind was made up as he pushed Ryou onto the bed. He was going to teach his other a lesson.   
  
~(Note: T___T I probably shouldn't be writing this and you probably shouldn't be reading this but oh what the heck..)~  
  
Bakura tore off Ryou's T-shirt with a wicked grin plastered on his face. He was straddling Ryou to the bed with his weight, making the smaller teen's attempts at escape futile. By then tears had began to cascade down the hikari's panicked face as he balled his fists in the sheets with a death grip. He could do nothing but whimper as Bakura began to rip his pants off. It was evident in Bakura's eyes what he wanted to do, Ryou had just been denying it all along. The furthest his yami had ever gone was actually stabbing him with a pen knife in the arm after beating him to a pulp, but tonight, he knew the undeniable truth was that Bakura planned to do much much more.  
  
After a while, Bakura took in the angelic sight before him. His hikari was writhing under him, totally bare, which aroused him greatly. After tonight, his hikari would no longer be the pure boy everyone loved and respected. He made it a point to ultimately make Ryou lose all his friends, breaking him in the process, till the teenager was nothing but an empty shell of himself.   
  
Before long, he shed himself of his clothes, still pinning the hapless plantinum haired boy to the bed. By then, Ryou had stopped his struggle and accepted his grim fate, shutting his eyes tightly and turning his head away. Bakura reached down to his nightstand and opened the drawer, pulling out a gleaming dagger. It was always handy to have more than one lying around, and tonight, his dagger would help him to achieve one of his ultimate pleasures.   
  
No, he wasn't just going to take his hikari as it was. He was going to make Ryou suffer horribly before it all. Bakura licked the flat side of the blade and then pressed it to his hikari's exposed chest, swirling it in patterns until he reached Ryou's left thigh. His hikari's eyes shot open in horror as he turned the blade to the sharp part and pressed it into the flesh, creating a semi deep gash and allowing Ryou's crimson blood to ooze steadily out of the wound. He knew how much Ryou wanted to scream in pain but he grinned at he fact that his hikari knew better.  
  
Ryou had grown accustomed to being hurt. He never screamed, it would just make Bakura more crazed and would drive him to make another 20 more gashes or so. This time though, whether or not Ryou screamed, Bakura planned to completely cover his hikari's body in similar wounds, something he had never done before. The thought brought a sick smile to his face. He brought the knife back up to Ryou's neck and let the coldness of the blade shock his hikari. Replacing the blade with his mouth, he sucked on the tender flesh, then bit down hard, tearing skin. Ryou's body jerked abit in response.  
  
Running the blade down Ryou's chest, he made a similar gash, but it was much longer. This time, Ryou let out a small gasp as fresh tears began streaming down his paler than usual face. In his mind, he knew that it would all be over soon. Just not as soon as he hoped. By the time Bakura had made his seventh gash, Ryou couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"...P-please... please s-stop..." Ryou begged as he winced in pain, his voice quivering with fear and hurt.   
  
"I won't." Bakura said with finality as he got up to take a look at his masterpiece. Ryou's body was covered in blood. 'Red and white never looked so good together.' He smirked as he looked at the pale child. 'It brings a whole new meaning to that picture I saw with the words "My knife is my paintbrush and your body, my canvas."' He laughed at his sick humour as he began straddling Ryou again. The small teenager cried out in pain as every movement Bakura made opened his wounds further. He wanted it all to end, but he knew his yami had not had his fill yet.  
  
Bakura spread his hikari's legs further and positioned himself at Ryou's entrance. In one quick motion, Bakura pushed himself into Ryou, causing the boy to arch his back and scream in agony. Of course he had not prepared him. Ryou gripped the sheets till his knuckles turned white. He was crying and begging for his yami to stop but he knew Bakura would not.   
  
Bakura increased his pace as he pounded relentlessly into Ryou, not caring at all for the brown eyed boy below him. After a while, Ryou's tight heat drove him over the edge and he came, spilling his seed into the smaller one's passage. He smirked as he pulled himself out. Ryou looked like a broken doll with his life blood soaking the sheets. There was blood coming out of his entrance along with Bakura's semen but it was impossible to tell if it was due to the previous wounds or because Bakura had ruptured Ryou's passage. Its not like the yami cared anyway.   
  
Ryou's tear stained face was illuminated by the moonlight streaking throught a small gap in the curtains. As Bakura left the room happy with himself, fresh tears formed and mingled with the blood on his face. He couldn't move to leave the room. He knew his yami wouldn't come back anytime soon anyway. His body hurt greatly and he couldn't even turn to cover his cold broken body with a blanket. After a while, darkness consumed him and he drifted into a sleep filled with nightmares.  
  
~End of Flashback~ (Note: That wasn't so bad now, was it?)  
  
Pulling his shirt back down, he left the bathroom and headed for the main door. He was about to leave to get some groceries, as well as more bandages and medicine; he was running low on both. As he walked through the living room, he caught sight of the Christmas tree. It brought back wonderful memories of the times when he and Bakura did it up together, before Bakura became the evil person he was now.   
  
Walking up to the tree, he took one of the crystal ornaments and held it up, looking at the light bounce through it, emitting a kaleidoscope of colours. He thought of the times when both him and Bakura would each cut a piece of paper into what to them resembled a snowflake and write their Christmas wish on it. Then they would stand on their toes and try to put it as high as they could on the tree, and then read each other's snowflake on Christmas itself.   
  
Nostalgia filling him, Ryou replaced the ornament and went back to his room. Taking the required stationery, he began making a paper snowflake and attached some string to hang it from. Finally, he took his silver pen and wrote his Christmas wish on it in cursive.   
  
Standing infront of the tree, he reached as high as he could and hung it, smiling to himself. It had been a long time since he had done such a thing. With a hint of sadness, he looked to the side of the tree Bakura used to hang his own snowflake. His yami had stopped when he changed, calling what Ryou did a silly child's game.  
  
Sighing, Ryou took one last look at his snowflake and the tree and made his way out.  
  
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"Tadai-" Ryou stopped short of announcing his return when he realised that he didn't feel his yami in the building.   
  
Instead, he had a fright when he saw a hooded figure sitting on the couch. He let out a small gasp of shock. What if the person there had gotten to Bakura first and hurt him? Terror filled the teenager.  
  
"I've waited long for you, Tomb Robber." The figure said, malice lining his every word as he noticed the presence of the new person. Ryou looked at him suspiciously. Inwardly, he heaved a sigh of relief. At least he knew his yami was safe since the person greeted him as Bakura. It was obviously someone who knew about Bakura's past, yet not about himself. It then struck the platinum haired teenager that the suspicious figure meant to do his yami harm, and he wasn't about to reveal that he wasn't Bakura.  
  
"Who are you?" Ryou said angrily, an emotion he didn't often show, but which was very characteristic of his yami. He was going to play along and protect his yami at all costs. The figure stood up in a graceful slow motion and turned to Ryou, his face still hidden in the darkness of his hood. It was now that Ryou could see its full height. The stranger was not very much taller then him. His frame was hidden by the black cloak he wore which was fastened together in the front by what looked like an ankh. The figure seemed extremely familiar. His height and voice were something Ryou had seen and heard before.  
  
"Ahh, you've forgotten already? How could you forget the days when we raided the tombs of the pharaohs together?" The figure said, moving closer to Ryou as something moved suspiciously under his cloak. The brown eyed teen noticed this and began walking backwards cautiously. Something told him that this stranger was capable of something very drastic.   
  
Ryou kept silent. Soon, the figure was less than three feet away from him.   
  
"Have you forgotten how you BETRAYED me?!" The figure shouted as he lunged forward, exposing the dagger that was aimed at the hikari. Ryou made a sharp movement to the left and dodged but the pain from the wounds his yami had inflicted on him sent him falling to the floor on his knees. The hooded figure laughed.  
  
"Getting rusty I see?" The hooded one knelt beside Ryou as the teenager gasped for breath, his face paling. He knew he had just opened almost all of his wounds.  
  
Soon, the figure was laughing uncontrollably. "Finally... Finally I can have my revenge." With those words, the cloaked person raised the blade upwards and brought it down, stabbing Ryou in the stomach. The platinum haired one screamed as the blade went through him. He watched with glazed eyes as the figure stood up, leaving Ryou to bleed to death with a dagger through him. With tears in his eyes, Ryou passed out.  
  
The hooded figure stood up and removed his cloak, grinning to himself as his blonde bangs covered his eyes. He licked one of his fingers that was covered in Ryou's blood. Revenge never tasted so sweet.  
  
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(Note: Ahh, end of chapter 1. I know that was VERY VERY dark but I promise it will get better in the end ok? Do tell me what you think by leaving a review, it will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading so far. I plan to post the next chapter really soon as the story kind of happens in real time and ends on Christmas itself!! So I hope I can finish it by then. Take care!! Oh and can anyone guess who the hooded figure was? ^__^)  
  
[Extra notes: What Ryou meant to say as he stepped into the house was "Tadaima". A term used to announce the fact that you're home. Then the people at home will say "Okaeri nasai" to acknowledge that. If I've got it wrong please do correct me.]  
  
[Bakura's line "My knife is my paintbrush and your body my canvas" was actually taken off a picture I once saw of Elmo. O_o] 


	2. Betrayal?

[Note: I'm going to just say that Jou and Kaiba are a couple. I'll write the back story later if ya'll want me to. ^_^ I also take it that Yami can send people into the past. I know its just his memories but lemme just twist it abit. O_o]  
  
Normal POV  
  
Yugi Motou walked up the porch to Ryou's home. It was four in the afternoon and he had come over to watch some anime with the hikari. Jounouchi Katsuya trailed behind him, dragging a very pissed Kaiba. Knocking the door, Yugi smiled, looking at the couple squabble.  
  
"I don't know why you dragged me here dumb mutt.." Kaiba scowled as he was led to the door. Jou grinned at him.   
  
"Well, you hardly get any days off so now I want you to spend it with us." Jou told him. By then, Yugi had given up knocking. Ryou hadn't come to the door in 5 minutes and he felt like something was wrong. Yugi dug into his pocket and pulled out the key Ryou gave him just in case. Turning the knob, he made his way in, leaving the bickering couple outside.  
  
"Oh yeah? Well I can think of other things we could do on my days off. For example I could be fu-" Kaiba stopped short as an ear piercing scream came from inside.  
  
"Yugi!?" Jou called out, dashing in, followed by his lover. When he got there, he saw Yugi beside a pale Ryou.. There was blood everywhere and an intricately carved dagger sticking out of Ryou's stomach.  
  
Jou felt sick as he saw the caked blood soaked into the carpet and the Sennen Ring holder's clothes. Kaiba had moved beside him and was trying to feel for a pulse. His face was scrunched in a deep frown.  
  
"Ryou... RYOU WAKE UP!!!" Yugi shouted, shaking his friend vigourously as tears poured out of his eyes. Jou still stood there shocked. Deep in his mind, this scene looked familiar... too familiar... yet.. wrong somehow.  
  
"He's still alive." Kaiba said with slight relief. "But he's in a terrible condition and his pulse is faint. We have to get him to my Mansion. I'll call the doctors on standby there to get everything ready. Jou, help Yugi carry Ryou into the car." The CEO ordered as he flipped open his cell phone.  
  
Jou jolted up from his daze and nodded, running to Yugi's side to help him. Suddenly, Bakura came through the door. He stared at the bloodied body before him and an expression of shock appeared on his face.  
  
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Kaiba's POV  
  
That loser still dare show his face here after what he's done to Ryou?! And whats with that feigned shock of his? It's obvious he did this. Who else could?! I can't believe he could bring himself to do this, after all the care and love that Ryou has showered over him. I raise my fist to punch that pathetic face of his in but am stopped midway.  
  
"Kaiba don't! We can't fight now, Ryou needs help!" I hear Yugi say to me. I nod at him and take over Jou in getting Ryou to the car. Something's wrong with Jou, I can see it in his dazed eyes but that isn't my concern now, I have to save Ryou.  
  
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Bakura's POV  
  
It all happened so fast. Was that my hikari in Kaiba's arms? What happened to him? Why is there so much blood all over the place? What was going on?! I know I don't care for Ryou, but why did looking at him like that shock me so badly? I swear I felt my heart just stop when I saw him like that.   
  
Now isn't the time to ask questions. I run after the group as they enter the limo, not before noticing an evil aura that had been in the room for quite a while now. I ask Kaiba to let me follow them. He looks at me like as if I was insane. I had never asked anyone for anything. It was always an order. Kaiba saw the look in my eyes and nodded. I knew he thought I did it to Ryou but I couldn't care less at this point. Ryou mattered more right now... Wait.. what the hell am I saying.. Oh heck.. no.. I am NOT falling for him...  
  
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Normal POV   
  
At the Kaiba Mansion, everyone was crowded around the bed where a pale Ryou lay. Yugi had contacted everyone while they were in the limo and so everyone had rushed down to see if their friend was ok. The blade had been removed from his body and the wounds bandaged properly. His condition was stabilized but something else was wrong. His internal organs were slowly failing one by one and none of the doctors could give a reason for it. All of them knew that Ryou wouldn't last much longer. He would probably leave them right before Christmas. Jou kept stealing glances at Bakura in the most disturbing of ways but no one seemed to notice. Téa had been crying onto Honda's shoulder while Yami held Yugi in a reassuring embrace.   
  
Kaiba paced up and down the room in anger. Ryou meant alot to him. After all, it was him that got Jou and himself together. He owed much to the platinum haired teenager who helped him understand what it was like to love someone unconditionally. He needed to let all of it out and who better to do it to than Bakura, the monster who hurt Ryou in the first place.   
  
Suddenly, he stood up and walked over to Bakura who had been sitting in the corner with an irritated look on his face. Without warning, he punched Bakura in the face with great force. The tomb robber faltered abit then looked up at him.  
  
He didn't get a chance to say anything as Kaiba hit him again. By then, almost everyone had stood up and gone to stop the CEO from turning the Egyptian into a bloody mass.  
  
However, even the three people who were holding him back didn't stop him from kicking at Bakura. Surprisingly, Bakura wasn't dodging a single attack. He looked almost forlorn and just sat there as if he was accepting his fate.  
  
"Hey Jou, aren't you going to help us!?" Honda growled as he tried to restrain Kaiba. They turned to Jou who was holding the dagger that had impaled Ryou gently in his hands. They stared at him, even Kaiba stopped his assault.   
  
"Heh, mou ichido.." He said in a voice that wasn't his. Then he turned enraged towards Bakura and lunged at him with the blade. The tomb robber didn't notice, his head was turned away in deep thought. He could still feel the evil aura. It had followed them all the way from the house.  
  
"STOP!!" Yugi shouted as he lunged for his best friend. He managed to topple the blonde over. Honda and Kaiba came over to restrain him.   
  
Kaiba turned his lover over and straddled him pinning him to the ground, causing him to drop the blade at Bakura's feet.  
  
"What have you done to Jou?! I know you're not him so tell me now what you've done before I wipe that smirk off your face permanently!" Kaiba shouted, ready to hit the daylights out of the teenager below him. He knew all along that something was amiss with Jou but he didn't know what to do about it. Ever since Jou had seen Ryou lying there, he wasn't himself, and Kaiba knew. He was just waiting for an opportunity to do something.  
  
"Ohho, don't be so eager Seto Kaiba, after all, hurt me and you hurt the precious body of your lover." The person said maliciously. Bakura's head jerked up at the sound of the voice. He heard it before. Infact, he knew who it was. Dread filled him.  
  
"You've possessed him?!" Yugi said, alarmed.   
  
"Heh, of course I have. I ahhhhh-" The stranger said gripping his head in pain. Suddenly, his expression changed.  
  
"...Kaiba... stop him... it hurts!" They all heard Jou say, in a voice that was definitely his. He was fighting the spirit who had taken his body over.  
  
"Hang on Jou, just hang on!" Kaiba said in desperation.   
  
"...He.. he stabbed...Ryou with a... a poisoned blade... Ryou will die without the antidote... I saw it in his memories..." Jou said weakly before the spirit took over again.   
  
"Arrrgh, stupid boy. He told you too much! Oh well, Ryou will die anyway. And then I will-" No one heard the last line as Kaiba uttered a silent apology and punched Jou in the face, knocking him out.  
  
The room was silent for a while as everyone took in what had just happened. They were all too shocked to do anything. Suddenly, Bakura stood up.  
  
"I'm going."   
  
"Going where?" Téa asked.   
  
"To get the antidote for Ryou..." He said softly and turned towards Yami who had been silently watching the whole time. "I need your help Pharaoh, please."   
  
All of them stared at him, shocked. Was this really Bakura standing before them?  
  
"What am I missing, Bakura?" Kaiba asked. He knew there was more to it than met the eye and if anyone could explain it, it would be the yami. Bakura sighed as he looked at him, then at the still form on the bed. He didn't know why he wanted to do this. He couldn't explain it, but something told him he had to save his hikari.   
  
Bakura looked around the room at everyone. They were all waiting for his explanation. Finally, he started.   
  
"...The spirit who possessed Jou was someone I knew when I robbed the tombs thousands of years ago...He.. he was my friend...Takut." Saying that line made him partially responsible for the condition Ryou was in and it took alot of tolerance for Kaiba not to knock him out at that very moment.  
  
"...During one of the raids, we found the Crystal Key. It was a very special key that could open any of the doors in any tomb. However, once inserted into the keyhole, it could not be pulled out anymore. We planned to use it on the tomb of Nefertina one night. However, that night, Takut said he was unwell and didn't want to go. I agreed to go another night and left with a knapsack to get foodstuffs for the both of us and medicine for him..." Bakura explained, fingering the familiar dagger he knew belonged to Takut.  
  
"When I came back he was lying on the floor bleeding to death. Everything was upturned. With his last few breaths he told me how much he hated me for betraying him to the Pharaoh's guards, accusing me of telling on him to protect myself as well as to use the time to raid Nefertina's tomb, mocking that I had brought back quite a good amount of treasure, since my bag was so full. I wanted to explain everything to him but he died before I could." Bakura looked up sadly.  
  
"..He..he was good with magic and was probably the one who did all this. It's not surprising he was able to use his powers to give his spirit the ability to possess another human thousands of years after his death. He must have attacked Ryou since he was drawn to Ryou's life essence which is similar to mine. He didn't know about Ryou so he attacked him thinking it was me." The tomb robber said. Silence filled the room. No one knew what to say.  
  
"So thats why you need my help. You want me to send you to the past don't you?" Yami asked. He had figured it out much deeper than Bakura had explained. "You believe that Ryou has an ancient poison running through his veins and so you want to go back to ancient Egypt to get the antidote." Yami said. Bakura nodded, looking downwards.  
  
"Alright." Yami said in the end.   
  
"I'm coming with you." Kaiba stated. "After all, this involves Jou now as well."  
  
Bakura shook his head. "You can't.. I have to go alone. You'll only be a burden." He stated.  
  
"Bakura's right Kaiba. I'm sorry but you won't be able to keep up with him in Egypt. I'd imagine he has quite a lot to do." Yami said. Kaiba growled and turned away.  
  
"Why are you suddenly doing all this for him?" Honda asked.   
  
"I...I don't know..." Bakura said, uncertainty present in his voice. They had never seen the violent yami like this, but they knew that even if Bakura didn't admit it, he was starting to treasure his hikari. The only thing that they feared was that it would be too late to save Ryou.  
  
Bakura walked towards the bed where Ryou lay and bent down to whisper something in his ear. He didn't know if Ryou could hear him or not but he did it anyway. He then turned to Yami.  
  
"I'm ready."  
  
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[Note: Ahh, another chapter done. In the next one, Bakura goes back to Ancient Egypt to get the cure. Will he succeed? Please do review!! I need to know what ya think of it! Thank you for reading so far.]   
  
"Mou ichido" means again or one more time.  
  
[I posted this chapter a few hours in advance because FF.net takes quite abit of time to get it on the site. ^__^] 


	3. The Return

[Hello! ^__^ Thank you to all that have reviewed. I really appreciate it. Ugh I kind of fell really sick right after the second chapter. I'm writing this with a terrible headache. ___ Take care everyone! ^_^]  
  
To Subaru-S: Arigatou!! ^__^ Ah yes there are alot of plotholes at this current point as I wanted Bakura to explain it all as he went through Egypt getting the cure. Hint: It has got something to do with the dagger and Yami knew about it. His drastic change in character will be somewhat explained. ^__^ I hope. Hehe, for what Bakura whispered to Ryou, you'll know at the end. *evil grin* And yes, you are completely right when you said Takut means Afraid (Lol, contradiction). Lol I didn't know what else to put for a name so decided to choose that. I would have chosen a better word but I'm not good at the language and couldn't find my dictionary. (I actually wanted to put it as Gila [Insane] but Takut sounded more Egyptian) ^__^ Thank you for reviewing. (Wow that was long.)  
  
To Malenyn of the Shadows: ^__^ Yup S/J rulez!  
  
To LazyLiza: Lol I'm messed up too so its really all okay. ^__^ Join the club!!  
  
To Anime the Fallen Angel: ^__^ To save or not to save, that is the question.   
  
On to the story! ^__^  
  
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Seto led the Pharaoh and the tomb robber to a spare room he had and left them there. It was Christmas Eve and trying to save Ryou was the most unexpected thing they were doing on such a day.  
  
"Thank you... Pharaoh... For stopping Kaiba from following me a well as..." Bakura said, he couldn't believe he was actually thanking someone.   
  
"You're welcome. I'm doing this for Ryou, I know how much he means to Yugi. Besides, Kaiba really wouldn't be able to catch up with you. I would follow you if I could but Yugi needs someone and I myself believe that you will move faster alone" The Pharaoh said, pausing a while. "Because you're going to the palace aren't you?"   
  
Bakura nodded. Of course Yami knew, he was the Pharaoh. Naturally he had noticed the royal insignia carved onto the hilt of the gem-encrusted dagger. It was present on all the weapons used by the rulers of Egypt and being a tomb robber, it would not be surprising that Takut could lay his hands on the blade; one of the many treasures buried with the mummies of the previous pharaohs. And as a royal weapon, it was injected with poison while it was being forged thus being able to kill anything slowly, even with just a small scratch of the blade.  
  
"When you want to come back, snap this apart." Yami instructed, handing him a very thin gold chain he had enchanted. Bakura nodded once more and shut his eyes, contemplating what he would do once there.   
  
When Bakura opened his eyes again, he was back in Ancient Egypt. 'Well, no time to think now, I've got to head to the Royal Palace. It's a royal poison, so there's got to be an antidote at the palace.' He thought to himself, mentally laughing at the thought of the Pharaoh having to consume the antidote after testing the sharpness of the blade and accidentally poking himself with it. Just before he dashed off again, he noticed how comfortable he felt suddenly. He looked down at himself and noticed that he was clad in his old torn white linen kilt and dark coloured robe. He put a hand up to his face. Running from the bottom of his right eye downwards was the familiar scar he had obtained. The Pharaoh had sent him back as his old self. It would help; he could blend in easily. It wouldn't do to draw the royal guards to him.  
  
As he ran towards the palace, thoughts flooded his mind. There were a million questions in his head but he had no answer for any of them.  
  
'Why am I doing this?.. Don't tell me I've fallen for the little brat... After seeing him like that... Why am I overcome with guilt?..What I did three nights ago was fine... wasn't it?' He thought. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
'No.. it wasn't fine. I shouldn't have hurt him like that...Wait. Why the heck am I suddenly caring so much? This isn't me. This can't be.. I'm not this weak.'   
  
"Weak". The word reverberated through the dark cave of his thoughts as all other things he was thinking about fled from his mind. Then, like a bolt of lightning, it struck him.   
  
All the while, he had been taking everything out on Ryou. His anger, his pain, subconciously even the fact that Takut was dead. For years he had been blaming everyone else but himself. Painful memories hit him as he remembered the day Takut fell sick.   
  
___________________________________________  
  
~Flashback~   
  
The night before, the both of them had gone on a raid. While walking around the pyramid to get back home, Takut had unknowingly bothered a snake. It bit him on the ankle and he fell, grabbing for anything to hold on to. What his hand grabbed was Bakura's kilt. Thankfully, it didn't fall off. Agitated, Bakura had to carry him home that night. He had seen the snake as it slid off, it was not a dangerous one. Takut's body would be able to expel the poison on its own in a day, all he needed was rest.  
  
When they got back however, Bakura realised that his beloved dagger was missing. Angrily, he turned to the nearest person he could and blamed him. To him, it was obviously because Takut had grabbed his kilt that the knot holding the hilt of the dagger had become undone. Takut remained silent the whole time with a forlorn look etched across his face. Bakura didn't want to go back and get it; it was too risky. With only two hours left to sunrise, Bakura went to sleep.  
  
As Bakura drifted off, Takut stood up and limped towards the door. He was intent on getting the dagger back although he knew that he didn't quite cause the loss of it. He would have just told Bakura off, saying that it fell off probably because of his weak knots, but he didn't; he loved Bakura too much. He traced their steps back until he found the place where he had been bitten. Kneeling down, he felt around in the sand until his fingers came upon cold hard metal. There was only 15 minutes left to sunrise. Hurriedly, he made it home.   
  
When Bakura woke up, he found his dagger lying near his head. Turning towards his friend, he saw Takut sleeping with a frown on his face. He shook the dark haired teenager up.  
  
"...I got your dagger back for you.." Takut told him sleepily.   
  
"Well, if you didn't I would have pummelled you by now." Bakura said, scowling. There was no "thank you" or "how do you feel?", just a violent threat.  
  
Takut rolled around in his bed so that he wouldn't see Bakura. Or rather, so that Bakura wouldn't see the tears that had begun trickling down his face.   
  
"We're going to raid Nefertina's tonight." He announced.  
  
"I can't go..." Came Takut's weak reply. "I don't feel well."  
  
"Heh, I should go without you then yeah?" Bakura said, evilly. He didn't mean it. In fact, he didn't even know why he had said such a thing. He hadn't thanked Takut for retrieving the dagger, and now he was hurting the other tomb robber with his words. There was no reply.  
  
"Eh.. Another night then." He said coldly, grabbing his knapsack. He wanted to go to town and get some provisions as well as some medicine for Takut. It was bugging him that the poison was having this sort of effect and getting medicine just in case sounded like a good idea. 'Not like I care for him. Its just better to have someone to send ahead of you in raids.' He reasoned with himself, denying the fact that he liked the other teenager.   
  
When he came back late that night, there was blood all over the place, with Takut coughing blood in the middle of the room. There was a sign painted into the wall with Takut's blood; the insignia of the Royal Guards. It was obvious that they had gotten to him while he was away.   
  
Hurriedly he rushed to the Egyptian's side, lifting his body into his arms. Takut was trying to tell him something but it was almost inaudible with all the blood that was coming out of his mouth at the same time.  
  
"..You...you told... on me... didn't you... You.. must've used.. the ..time.. to ..raid the tomb.." Takut said in a soft whisper. It was painful for him just to talk. Bakura lowered the body and was about to explain it fully to Takut when the teenager took his last breath.   
  
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As the memory flashed past him, he began to quicken his pace again. It had now become obvious why he wanted to save Ryou so badly. He had already lost someone he knew loved him before and he was not about to let it happen again. He had always associated love with being weak but he stopped. He couldn't run away from it any more. Seeing his hikari lying like that had really woken him up and he didn't want his nightmare to repeat itself.  
  
It had been ages since he had even been near the Pharaoh's Palace but he knew it like the back of his hand nonetheless. All tomb robbers knew the floor plans of the palace well. They were only waiting for the rulers to go into political strife so that there would be so much chaos they could raid the palace and get away with it. As it was, the whole place was swarming with guards and to even try to enter was extremely foolish.  
  
Today though, Bakura was going to be extremely foolish. His safety didn't matter to him anymore. The only thing that mattered was saving Ryou, and he would do it, even if the Pharaoh decided to enleash his whole army on him.   
  
As he was running through the crowded streets of ancient Egypt, the palace came into view, not more than a kilometer away. Immediately, he took a right and ran down one of the many alleys. After about one hour of steering himself through the myriad of paths and passing the most rowdy of people (such like him), he came upon a huge drain. It's source was an unguarded side of the palace. However, to get anywhere from that particular spot, one would have to pass at least twenty patrolling guards.  
  
Readying himself, he jumped two meters down into the drain and began trekking upwards, the stench of the dirty water filling his nostrils. By the time he reached his destination, it was late evening and he was covered in small abrasions which he had while climbing upwards.  
  
He had gotten himself into one of the main corridors that led to the Healer's room. It was the only way there and possibly one of the most well guarded places, since the Healer was always situated near the Pharaoh's chamber, should something unfortunate happen. All the way there he had avoided guards, hiding behind corners, ducking behind huge earthenware urns; but now he couldn't. There were four standing two on each side, beside the large oak doors. They would be a problem but that didn't faze him.  
  
Reaching for his dagger from under his robe, Bakura lashed out from behind the corner and charged for the nearest guard who was extremely surprised at his entrance. No one dared to enter the Palace in such a manner. Bakura took advantage of his shock and plunged the weapon into the guard's heart.   
  
He then ducked to avoid the onslaught of the other three, barely missing the blades by a few millimeters. With great speed, he used his foot to trip the next one, positioning his blade in such a way that the guard fell onto it, thus killing him as well. Next he turned to the other two who looked like they were going to faint in fright. He grinned and licked his blade. That was all it took for one of them to go running off. 'Shit.' He thought to himself. 'Now he's going to alert all the rest of those goons. Oh well, at least that's one less to deal with. All I need is to get in, get the potion and get out.'  
  
In anger at seeing his comrades die, the last guard flung his weapon at Bakura. The tip barely missed his chest. As the hand passed before him, he reached out and grabbed it, using the momentum of the guard's force to twist his arm in a painful manner and ultimately fling him down. Without hesitation, he used his dagger to slit his throat.   
  
Letting go of the body, Bakura stood at his full height and pushed open the door. What he saw surprised him quite a bit.  
  
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[The end of the second last chapter. ^__^ So er I hope it was all explained ne? If there's anything I missed out please let me know. Thank you once again to all who reviewed and especially Subaru-S. (Before I had read your review, I kinda knew what I wanted to write but was still groping around in the dark, so you've helped greatly.)]  
  
In the next chapter: Bakura wanted to go in, get it and get out, but it isn't as easy as it sounds. 


	4. Trust

[Wooh, the final chapter is here. Thank you to all who have reviewed . I just turned off the "Do not accept anonymous reviews" thingy. Didn't know that was there. O_o. Please do read the end note after everything ^__^]  
  
Note to all: I know alot of you are asking "How could someone rape another in the first chapter then want to save him in the next."? The truth is, I believe it has a psychological reason. Bakura always indulged himself in hurting Ryou, such that one day, when he finally pushed it over the edge, it was a sort of overindulgence. Thus causing him to gradually realise that he didn't actually wish to hurt Ryou. That plus the memories of Takut's death eating away at him unconciously could have sped up the process.  
  
To celestrial-rulz: Er well, I wanted the last scene to take place at someone's home [If Ryou was brought to the hospital with such wounds, an investigation would be started and the doctors would not allow him to be moved elsewhere. There's a real good reason for this later on as well. ^___^ Thank you for reviewing.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Gi Oh and the sparkly Brilliant Snow thingies from Final Fantasy XI. ^__^  
  
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"Close the door, you're going to ruin the effect of the Brilliant Snow!" Came an irritated voice from within. Unconciously, Bakura shut the door behind him. It was pitch black so Bakura could hardly see anything.   
  
"Wha-?" Was all he could manage before a dazzling light leapt into the air and burst into many smaller lights, just like small fireworks. It was absolutely magical, and then it fizzled and died out.  
  
Snapping himself out of it he turned to the source of the young female voice. "I want the antidote for the poison the royals use!" He shouted. "And I will kill you if you don't give it to me this instant."  
  
"I can't." Came the confident reply. Which idiot would be daring enough to say such a thing at a time like this?  
  
"I have no time to play games. Give it to me now and I will leave peacefully without lining this place with your blood!" Bakura hissed.  
  
"Well you can go kill me then... Even death is better than being stuck here under that stupid Pharaoh's command." The voice told him.  
  
"Ughh.. Listen, I don't have time for this. My lover is dying and he needs the antidote NOW." Bakura said. Wait. Did he just use the word 'lover'? He shook his head to himself, still denying his love.  
  
There was a short pause.  
  
"...Alright." The girl said."On one condition."  
  
"What?" Bakura was in no mood to negotiate.  
  
"You get me out of here." She said, finality present in her voice. She would take no alternative.  
  
"Are you insane?! It will be hard enough for me to get out of here by myself let alone bring you!" Bakura said, he had long begun groping around in the dark for what may have been a bottle of antidote. But even he knew, without his sight, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a bottle of antidote and a bottle of rat guts. There came no reply. After a while, Bakura sighed in the dark.  
  
"Alright.." He heard a small squeal of delight in the dark and shook his head. At least he would be getting the antidote soon. He didn't think Ryou would be able to hold on much longer.  
  
"Is there a window in here?" He asked and a few seconds later, light streamed in through the window the girl had just opened. Funny, she looked like a younger version of Mai but with black hair and tanned skin. He snickered at the resemblance.  
  
"Ok, we're going out the window." He stated.   
  
"We can't." Came the reply. He was getting fed up of the word 'can't' just then. "Its a 100 meter drop, unless you're up for it."   
  
"Fine, we go back the way I came, through the sewers."   
  
"Eeww.."   
  
"Shut up and just follow me."  
  
When he opened the door, he saw 20 guards waiting for him. They grinned evilly showing partially rotted teeth.   
  
"Oh no its the Pharaoh kissing the High Priest!!!" He shouted and pointed behind the guards. They all turned. 'Heh, stupid fools.' He thought to himself as he pulled the girl behind him through the guards who were abit surprised. Of course there was no pharaoh and high priest.  
  
  
  
After quite a lot of running, hiding and running some more, the two found themselves outside of the palace. Bakura turned to the girl and stuck out his hand.  
  
"The antidote." He ordered. She shook her head.  
  
"I don't have it." She told him. He glared at her in bewilderment. "While sparring with what they thought were blunt blades, the Pharaoh and the High Priest scratched each other with the poisoned blades. I gave both the bottles I had to them."  
  
Bakura was just about to raise his hand to hit her when she spoke again.  
  
"But I can make some more. All I need is one day. I know where to get the ingredients and I can get you the antidote in 12 hours." She told him quickly, fearing that he would kill her there and then.  
  
"...I don't have that much time, you understand?" Bakura said, punctuating each word with a pause to elaborate his point as well as to prevent himself from burying his blade in her heart.  
  
"Ok then... er.. er.. 9 hours...It's the fastest I can do it.." She stuttered, flinching backwards from fear.  
  
  
  
He gave it a moments thought and nodded. Something was better than nothing.   
  
"Okay. I'll meet you back here in 6 hours... and don't screw up. The guards are looking for you as well so stay low." Bakura instructed and he received a fearful nod in response.  
  
A while later, the tomb robber found himself winding through the crowded alleys once more. This time however, he was heading for the place he used to stay with Takut. There was something very important he needed to find, something almost as essential as the antidote itself.   
  
When he got there, he was surprised at how run down it looked. The windows were broken and the door was sliding off its hinges. Stepping in, the was greeted by the smell of dust and caked blood. The dried blood on the walls gave the whole area a forboding aura, sending a slight chill down his spine. Ignoring his discomfort, Bakura began rummaging through the broken pots, tools and such to find what he was there for.   
  
After much searching, he managed to find it and hurriedly stuffed it into his pocket. 6 hours were almost up and he wanted to get back to Ryou as soon as possible. Rushing back to the meeting area, he realised that she wasn't there. Regret began filling him as well as many unanswerable questions.  
  
'What if she lied? What if she really can't make the antidote in time? What if she had no intention of giving it to me in the first place? What if she's already left this area? What if-' Bakura was stopped short during his last question by a tap on his shoulder. He spun around to see the grinning girl holding up a clear bottle of antidote with two bead sized grapes at the bottom.   
  
"Uh.. thank you..." He managed to utter in surprise.   
  
"You're welcome! It's thanks for getting me outta there I guess." She said sheepishly, all fear of the tomb robber was gone from her features.  
  
"Well, uh.. goodbye then." He said, digging into his pocket to get the chain.  
  
"Where'ya going?" She asked casually.  
  
"To save my angel..." He said, a small smile playing on his lips. Taking the chain into both hands, he shut his eyes and snapped it apart.  
  
When he opened them again he was back in Kaiba's mansion; in the dark room he had left. Suddenly, he heard a spine chilling laughter from behind him. He turned sharply and glared at the figure sitting on the chair.   
  
"Ahh, so you're back, Bakura." The figure said playfully as he ran his fingers over something shiny, the dagger!  
  
"...Takut.. what have you done to the rest?" He said, noticing the awfully eerie silence that resonated around the place.  
  
"Oh, nothing much, just knocked them out so they would stop trying to defend that puny boy that looks just like you. They didn't seem to understand that I wouldn't kill him.... yet."   
  
Bakura growled from deep within his throat. "What have you done to him?!"  
  
"Well, nothing. I was waiting for you actually. I wanted to kill him right before you. And then I wanted to kill you." Takut snickered.  
  
"I have no time for this." Bakura said, dashing for the door. Unfortunately, the other tomb robber made it there before him. Takut tackled him down till he was pinned to the floor.   
  
Smiling, the crazed spirit drew his dagger and placed it firmly on Bakura's neck.  
  
"Now you'll know what betrayal feels like!" He shouted and was about to plunge the dagger in.  
  
"Stop!"   
  
Takut hesitated a while.   
  
"Why should I? I finally have the chance to kill the one and only person I loved and who betrayed me. Tell me, why should I spare you?"  
  
"...Because I didn't betray you...I didn't lead the guards to you at all.." Bakura choked out.  
  
"Oh yeah? But you used the time to raid Nefertina's tomb! I saw you carry the loot back!"  
  
"..That wasn't loot... I had gone to get supplies for us.. we were low.."  
  
"...I don't believe you.." Takut said with slight apprehension.  
  
Bakura took the opportunity the slight pause gave him to reach into his pocket and take out the object which he had found earlier. He held it right up to Takut just as the teenager was about to kill him. Bakura shut his eyes, expecting the impact of the dagger through his throat.  
  
The blade clattered as it fell to the floor.  
  
"The Crystal Key..." Takut said in absolute disbelief.  
  
"...Yes..." Bakura paused for a while as Takut took the key to examine it. "I didn't want to raid the tomb after you were gone. I know the key was a big find and all... but I didn't want to raid it if it wasn't with you... I was denying it all along..."  
  
"Thank you..." Takut looked at him and smiled longingly. He paused for a while before he turned back to Bakura. "Now go, hurry. Ryou won't last much longer. You DID bring the antidote didn't you?"  
  
Bakura nodded and ran into the room where Ryou lay. By then, practically everyone except for Téa had woken up and were crowded around Ryou's bed. He ran forward.   
  
"I'm back!" He said as they cleared a way for him. As he saw their faces he was shocked. Everyone's face was tearstained, including Seto Kaiba's.  
  
"...No... NO... Don't tell me I'm too late..." He said, running his hand through Ryou's silky hair. The teenager was still. Bakura put his ear to the platinum haired boy's chest. He couldn't hear anything except for.. a small heart beat.   
  
It wasn't much but Ryou still was very much alive. Probably just so weak that his vital stats weren't showing correctly. He ignored everyone telling him that it was over. Gently, he lifted his hikari's upper body and supported him with one hand. With the other, he took out the antidote and used his teeth to get the cork stopper off. Then, he pressed the bottle lightly to Ryou's mouth.   
  
Most of it went in, except for the small amount that trickled out the corners of his mouth. When he got to the bottom of the small bottle however, he emptied the rest of the liquid and the small grapes into his mouth, chewing up the grapes to small swallowable bits before he finally leaned down and let it slip gently into the mouth of his hikari.  
  
For the rest of the night, Bakura stayed by Ryou's side, holding his fragile cold hand gingerly in his own. Everyone else had fallen asleep on the many large chairs in the same room. They knew it was over. Ryou was as good as gone, but Bakura refused to believe that. His hikari would hang on, he knew it.  
  
_______________________________________  
  
That night, most of Bakura's sleep was dreamless, except for a short dream right at the end of it all. He dreamt he was raiding a tomb with Takut and they had gotten to the main treasure chamber when the tomb robber suddenly turned to him and smiled.  
  
"None of these gold ornaments or precious jewels can compare to the gift you have been given. Treasure him." Takut told him. He looked like he was at peace with himself and his calmness spread to Bakura.  
  
  
  
Just as quickly as it had begun, the dream was over.  
  
_______________________________________  
  
Bakura was woken up early the next morning by something twitching in his hand. He blinked open his eyes groggily to realise that Ryou's eyelids were fluttering open. Bakura's heart skipped a beat as he watched his love finally awaken.  
  
"Ryou.." Was all he could manage, he was absolutely speechless.  
  
"..Thank you.. for saving me.." Ryou said, smiling happily. Colour had begun to return to the hikari's pale face.  
  
".. You.. you held on.." Bakura uttered, in disbelief.  
  
"Because .. of your promise.. You promised that you would take me to see the sunrise if I waited for you...It meant alot to me, you know." Ryou stated simply with a smile.  
  
Bakura nodded as tears of happiness slid down his cheeks.  
  
"Alas, sleeping beauty is up!" Honda said as he got up stretching. Yugi had begun to wake up but jumped up immediately when he saw that Ryou was awake, thus letting Yami fall downwards since he had been leaning on Yugi.  
  
"Ryou!! You're okay!!" He exclaimed estatically.  
  
"Hai, arigatou."   
  
"Eww what's this drool on me?" Kaiba said as he woke up, only to realise that his puppy had fallen asleep with his mouth on his lap, thus soaking his pants with a sticky substance. Takut had given Jou his body back right after the confrontation.  
  
"Aww, Kaiba's got a little drooly puppy." Honda said scrunching his face up for effect.  
  
"Why you!"  
  
Soon, the room was filled with laughter as they each poked fun at each other. Suddenly, Bakura began glancing around for a clock only to find that there was none.  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
Kaiba glanced down at his watch. "6.45 am, why?"  
  
"I have 5 minutes till sunrise then." Bakura stated as he began tucking Ryou into the comforter and then lifted the teenager off the bed.  
  
"Uh?" Ryou asked in wordless confusion.  
  
"Shh angel, just gimme a while."   
  
They instantly knew what Bakura wanted to do. Hurriedly, Yugi went to open the door while Kaiba went to get the door to the roof opened.  
  
3 minutes later, they were all on the roof, with Ryou in Bakura's arms. Seto had his arms locked protectively around his puppy. Absolutely no one was going to take him away again, be it human, spirit or the undead. Yugi was leaning on Yami's chest and the rest were just sitting near each other. As the sun rose, it basked all of them in a warm glow.   
  
"..Kirei.." Ryou said as he looked at the light rays bouncing off the soft clouds, giving the whole place a heavenly effect.  
  
"..No.." Bakura said. His hikari looked at him quizzically. "Not as beautiful as you, my hikari."   
  
Ryou smiled up at him.  
  
"Bakura.." Ryou called out in a soft voice.  
  
"Hmm?"   
  
"Aishiteru.." The small teen said sheepishly.  
  
"I love you too." Bakura said as he leaned down and kissed Ryou passionately on the lips. Takut was right. Ryou was his treasure, and his hikari was more important to him than the whole world. Ryou smiled at Bakura. At last his Christmas Wish had come true; he had a yami who loved him.  
  
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[Ahh, its finally finished!! ^__^ I hoped ya'll liked the ending and stuff. Please do review with your opinions and whether ya'll want me to do background stories and stuff. Thank you to all who have taken the time to review.   
  
On a final note, I would like to dedicate this story to quite a few people. To my best friends Mish (celestrial-rulz), Erin and Cheryl. Especially Mish for giving me TONS of constructive criticism. To Subaru-S. Thankies!! To Malenyn of the Shadows, Ryou-Bakura1, BakaYamiTenshi, thanks for adding me!! ^__^ To LazyLiza, Anime the Fallen Angel and Kenny3, I haven't forgotten ya! ^_^]  
  
Take care everyone, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!  
  
12th Jan Special Note : This story is also specially dedicated to my wonderful friends at #yaoirulez. Especially Senko, Quincey, Hyde-sama, virtual, April, Haunting, Jade_A, Nqs and all the rest I haven't mentioned. Also to izum|! ^_^ 


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